Now that I’ve been working full-time for just over seven months, I realize I have put some personal goals on the back burner over the past little while. No need to beat myself up about it (or ever!), as life constantly changes, and with it, a change in priorities often follows.

Remember way back, Stephen Covey’s mantra of “beginning with the end in mind?” Well it’s kind of along that thinking that I have recently pondered what I want to accomplish next. And although for me, it is probably impossible to plan for the long-term (with this current job being a contract), I can set some short-term goals and start working towards them. I encourage you to bring your focus back to you, and figure out what it is you want to start, or maybe just get better at.

Exercise

Exercise suffered when I started this job but the last few weeks I’ve started getting up off my a$$ and moving. In fact, I’ve started setting my alarm for 5:45am each workday morning to start the day off with a 30 minunte walk/run, with a goal of running the whole way eventually. If my schedule allows, I also go for another 30 minute or so walk after dinner. I’ve also returned to exercising with free weights, stretching and other exercise in the evenings while I’m watching tv.

Chopsticks

Yes, you’ve read that right! I bought a set of chopsticks and have been using them instead of a fork for every meal. It’s a small, kind of silly goal, but I want to be as proficient in using them as I am with a fork. The struggle is real, my friends.

Reading

A long term goal of mine is to one day write a book, and I know I have along way to go to becoming a kick-a$$ writer, so I’ve started reading again – one chapter before bedtime – for the joy of it, but also knowing that reading is going to contribute to my bigger goal of writing better. My books of choice are currently travel memoirs (big surprise!).